cake for her birthday!

birthdays are my favorite! actually, any holiday is fun but this particular birthday was a really big deal! alli turned 26 on the 13th of july and even though we were in the bush at the time (field exercise) and slept on cots right next to each other i didn't see her awake at all on her whole birthday! so i tried to make it up with the bribe of a layer cake about a week later. i think it kept me in the clear...

i got to use our new calphalon 8" round cake pans to make a yellow cake (with splenda) from a boxed mix. i added some pretty sprinkles right at the end too so i could add a little bit of fun color too. this was also the first time that i ever actually cut off the top of one of the layers so the cake would sit right. i used our big bread knife and sliced off a layer of rounded cake top and flipped the cake over onto a plate so it sat on it's top. that way it stayed level the whole time!

pink and brown are totally "in" colors right now and alli has to love anything with pink sugary frosting, her name and a heart!

wine always goes good with a celebration too. this moon mountain was pretty good for a random buy at the package store for around $10.

so here she is getting ready to blow out her 26 candles and digging into the yumminess! look for reasons to celebrate and have more fun with friends!

and keep eating...

easy salad with "no cook" chicken! 5/5

good stuff! we are huge fans of easy dinners that are healthy, beautiful and delicious and this salad meets all criteria easily!! we were even able to take it for lunch the following day by putting the lettuce in one tupperware and all the other ingredients into a separate container. our friends were really jealous since they were having pbj, bologna sandwiches or the "special" from the school cafeteria. i was a really wonderful fresh tasting salad with lots of different textures and rich flavors. and so easy!

from martha's edf june 07
Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Prep: 30 minutes Total: 30 minutes

For a salad with the best texture, shred the chicken instead of cubing it. The technique is simple: Holding a fork, tines down, in each hand, pull the meat into pieces along the grain.

Ingredients
Serves 4.
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

Directions
Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

keep eating!